Just A Dance
by psycho-girl101
Summary: Bill and Fleurs' wedding is here, yet not everyone is in the partying mood. Harry Potter feels storm clouds. This story shows how a simple gesture is better than a thousand words. Ginny will teach Harry that sometimes to let go is the only solution.


So here it is the not-awaited-in-the-freaking-slightest first story from moi!

_It's called, Just a Dance and has no warnings other than very mild language (i.e. damn, oh my god, etc.). It includes all canon ships and nothing else. Well ok one is suggested VERY STRONGLY at the end of HBP so it has to be counted. And here it is:  
_  
**Just A Dance**

Harry sat under the oak tree, his shoulders tight, his mind a million miles away. His dress robes were creasing but he didn't care. He had had to get away from the party, just for a while, just to clear his head. He was finding the task next to impossible. There was too much confusion, self-doubt, fear prowling his thoughts.

Music floated softly to the hill top where he sat watching the dancers twirling on the outdoor dance floor. There were two enormous gazebos too and fairy lights ( real fairies) were scattered all over the garden below. Ms. Fleur Delacour had just been pronounced Mrs Bilius Arthur Weasley and the reception was taking place down there. The sun had long since begun its descent of the sky and star were appearing gradually. They were barely visible because since the sun had started to disappear dark clouds had formed in its place.

Harry wished he could be enjoying this along with everyone else, but he couldn't simply because he wasn't like everyone else. They could scarcely imagine the weight that was weighing his shoulders down; the weight of the prophecy. It wasn't so much what it was telling him to do, time had allowed him to accept this – it was what that impinged upon him that terrified him entirely. If he succeed and killed Voldemort he would become a murderer. If he didn't he doomed everyone. The situation was horribly catch-22 and slowly driving him mad.

The horcruxes were another thing, how on earth was he to discover, what they were, where they were and how to destroy them in what he could feel was going to be a very short period of time. Also, he was pretty sure 'Accio Horcrux!' then 'Obliviate!' weren't going to do the trick. And he still had to work out who R.A.B was, he was getting no closer to answering any of his questions and it was all running in a vicious circle of frustration.

'Hey,' Ginny whispered.

'God!' Harry exclaimed snapping form his trance and instantaneously leaping to his feet. Ginny was taken aback by his reaction and stepped back. 'Ginny, what the hell are you doing here?" He snapped angrily. Ginny felt hurt but masked the emotion in her face and tired again.

'I was wondering if you wanted to dance with me?' She smiled encouragingly but Harry sighed. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his messy hair in that pattern of subconscious actions that threw her heart to her throat.

'Ginny, we've been through this I-'

'It's just a dance,' she said very quickly, her heart sinking again. She twisted her hair and rocked on her feet in the manor Harry knew meant she was worried, how badly he wanted to stop this, to take her worries on himself and set her free. Why couldn't he? It just wasn't fair, on either of them.

'I can't Gin," He said. There was hope, he had used her nickname, Ginny thought.

'Why not?'

'You know why,'

'Voldemort isn't stopping your feet moving is he? Is he going to stop you enjoying just one night of this desperate struggle you're forced to call a childhood?'

'Yeah, he is!' Harry scowled, contorting his features in a fashion far beyond his years.

'Why?' Ginny asked incredulously.

'I can't tell you!' Harry shouted turning from her and pacing away. This was going horribly wrong.

'Why, would that just make your life too simple? That someone might understand you? Your being idiotic!' Now she was angry too.

'Yeah that's right! I'm the stupid boy who has to save the world!' he yelled, spinning back to her. Ginny clapped a hand to her mouth, Harry instantly regretted what he'd said. 'Ginny I-' He began,

'What do you mean?' She whispered in horror. Harry seemed to visibly deflate and he dropped down into the dewy grass. Ginny knelt beside him her eyes shining with tears, she reached out a delicate hand and rested it upon his chest. Harry felt the small warmth against him. He knew they shouldn't be here together like this, but he couldn't let her get hurt again, yet she gave him strength like nothing else every could. He hugged her closer to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling into him, feeling a balloon of happiness well inside her though her fear was puncturing it. Harry began to tell her all he knew.

' When we went to the ministry in my fifth year and we found the prophecy the death eaters wanted remember? Well, it smashed and they never heard what it said.'

'No one did.' Ginny commented.

'I did.' Harry said quietly. Ginny turned her face up to him but his eyes were on the skies, unwilling to meet hers. ' The prophecy was originally made to Dumbledore and he showed me his memory of it. The prophecy told of a child who was to be born as the seventh month died whose parents had thrice defied Voldemort. That child was me. It said that I have power he doesn't know about and that neither of us can live while the other survives. So either I kill him or he kills me.' He finished softly.

'Oh Harry-' Ginny whispered her coffee eyes glistening in the semi-darkness.

'I am the last hope,' He said breathlessly, ' and the only people who know are you, me, Ron, Hermione and Professor Trelawney.'

'Professor Trela- oh.' Comprehension dawned on her face.

' She isn't such a fraud after all.' Harry smile dryly. He continued to tell her off the near impossible task he held as his solely. Ginny was repulsed and terrified but let him talk until he could say no more. They sat in a heavy silence until Ginny could bear it no longer and cried,

'But you can't die!'

'I don't want to, I think.' Harry said tentatively.

'You think! How can you not be sure?' Ginny dared ask.

'Well life hasn't exactly been a breeze so far and what have I got to leave behind anyway?'

'You've got me.' Ginny whispered breathlessly.

'Ginny I can't have you I've told you before-'

'Well tell me again.' She replied burying herself further under his strong, safe shoulder.

'Because I think I love you and if you ever got hurt I could never forgive myself.' He shook his head, as though he was trying to dislodge water from his ears.

'Really?' she asked quietly sitting up and looking him straight in those blister-inducing emerald eyes.

'Yes I do. I just wish I could show you how I felt...' He said miserably.

'You don't have to, I love you too.' Ginny looked away as she said it her heart soaring to the cloud covered heavens. She stood up suddenly and put her hands on her hips in such an imitation of her mother it was scary.

'Now, what about this dance?' She asked.

'I can't Ginny,' Harry began, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

'Why not?' Ginny said frowning.

' I can't dance.' Harry smiled and Ginny's face broke out into a smile entirely of its own accord.

'I'll teach you!' She grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. The walked down the hill, hand in hand, swinging them their entwined hands gently.

'Harry,' Ginny began nervously. They stopped and Harry turned to face Ginny, who was blushing in the glow of the fairy lights.

'What?' Harry asked innocently.

' There was something I forgot to give you at the end of last year.' She shuffled her feet awkwardly, keeping her eyes on the ground. Harry lightly took her chin and raised her eyes to meet his,

'What's wrong?' He asked searching her face.

'Nothing's wrong.' She said quietly as her eyes memorised every line, freckle and tone of his face. Suddenly she kissed him. It was short but sweet and filled with passion she hadn't known she was with-holding. They broke apart and Harry looked pleasantly surprised.

'I never got to give you a kiss goodbye.' Ginny murmured her eyes scanning his eyes for every hint of emotion.

' I know.' He said, barely breathing. 'I missed you so much this summer... you can't even imagine.'

'Not as much as I missed you. Even when you were there I acted like an idiot. I was just so sad and angry at the same time I didn't know how to act.'

'Neither did I.' Harry blushed too.

'Come on then, tonight won't last forever.' Ginny said.

' Now I wish it would.' He smiled and took her hand again, swinging it as before.

_Ron and Hermione were having a slightly heated debate of their own when Hermione saw Ginny marching up the hill with a very determined look in her eyes. Hermione shook her sadly, Harry was so hopelessly confused he couldn't see how right they were for each other._

_'Hermione, I will NOT dance!' Ron had turned purple which was not a flattering colour for him._

_'Fine!' She said coldly and whisked herself away, her soft golden skirts whipping in the breeze. Ron frowned at her receding back and skulked away to the tent, where Fred and George were sorely tempted to tease him to beyond sanity, although they quickly changed their minds when they saw the look upon his face._

Hermione rested her back up against the garden fence, her eyes were shut, recalling the memory. It had been at least an hour ago. Her make-up was streaked from her tears and her hair had partly fallen down but she could barely have cared less. It didn't matter how pretty she made herself Ron just didn't seem to care, things between them had just kept deteriorating since her kiss. She still savoured the moment even if she knew she would never kiss him again.

_'Hermione, I will NOT dance!'_ that was the last thing he was going to say to her in their piteous attempt at a relationship?

That was what they were going to break up over? Had they even been going out? Fresh tears started to course down her cheeks. She wanted him so badly and she had lost him. She opened her eyes and standing in front of her was Ron.

'Hermione, I'm sorry.' He mumbled, looking at his feet as if they meant the world. Hermione brushed her cheeks with the back of her hand and Ron finally looked up. He saw she had been crying and his eyes widened.

'Hermione! I'm really sorry! I didn't realise how upset you were, I was being stupid. Please don't cry' He finished softly, glancing back at his feet, a flush rising in his cheeks. 'I was wondering if you,' he took a deep breath and went for the plunge,' wanted to dance.'

'I'd love to.' She said simply and Ron beamed at her. She took his hand and lead him to the dance floor. She saw Harry and Ginny on the hill. They were hand in hand. Abruptly they stopped and must have spoken about something. Suddenly Ginny leaned forward and kissed him. Hermione's smile couldn't have been any brighter as Harry took Ginny's hand and lead her onto the dance floor too. The clouds were gathering over head but no one noticed anymore.

Ginny had a quick word with the band and they began to play an up-beat pop song, Harry hadn't heard it before but he liked it immediately. It quickly cleared all the adults from the dance floor while Fred and Angelina came to join them, George even managed to coaxed the snotty little miss Gabrielle into dancing with him. The adults gathered around the edges of the dance floor watching the youth and smiling in the knowledge that for once they were getting to do what kids normally did. Fred and Angelina danced in a rather chaotic fashion that was so individual no one was sure if they knew what they were doing. George patronized Gabby for a while but soon she began to loosen up a bit and forget her self-importance. Ron and Hermione danced awkwardly but sweetly. Ginny's dancing oozed confidence which in turn made Harry a bit more sure of himself and he soon relaxed and began to enjoy himself. Most eyes were on the final pair.

'He is so like James,' Lupin commented as he watched Harry spin Ginny, unable to keep the pride from his voice. Tonks nodded and leaned back against his chest, 'James was always rubbish at dancing.' He laughed and wrapped his arms round Tonks waist, planting a soft kiss on her neck.

'Just look at them,' Mrs Weasley sighed as she watched three of her children dancing with the person they called their love. 'Our babies aren't babies anymore are they Arthur?' Silent tears were pouring down her cheeks but were being thrown off by her smile, 'Now Bill will start a family of his own and Ron will be leaving and then Ginny. The house will be so quiet.' Mr Weasley just beamed, proud of his family.

The song ended and a slower one began. Fred and Angelina wondered off into the darkened garden for some 'quiet time'. Gabrielle and George left the dance floor but no one joined it. All eyes were fixed on the remaining dancers. Ron pulled Hermione closer and she slipped her hands over his shoulders, looking up into his eyes. Harry and Ginny stood in an awkward position for a minute and Harry made a decision within himself. He could feel the eyes upon them and it made him decide faster. He rolled his own and stepped forward as if to say 'to hell with it.' Ginny smiled and he took her waist, she draped her arms over his shoulders. He pulled her closer and whispered,

'Let's just for get everything for one dance.'

'Lets.' She agreed. Slowly they danced on the spot, basking in the glorious freedom, they had denied themselves for too long. They soon forget everything except that they were exactly where they wanted to be at that moment in time. Suddenly the heavens opened, releasing their heavy burden over the party guests. Ron and Hermione stopped dancing and ran for cover along with everyone else but two. Harry and Ginny paused and looked at the sky. Then they slowly looked back at each other. Then they laughed. They danced in the rain, holding each other close, feeling the cool rain pour down upon them. Ginny's hair was dripping wet but Harry thought it just made her look more alive, more beautiful. Their song finished and Harry and Ginny stopped for the last time.

The rain was still falling, more gently than before, as Harry spoke to her,

'I have to go now,' He said softly so no one else could hear him. Ginny nodded and a tear slid from her eye, mingling with the rain on her cheek.

'Don't cry, please don't cry.' He soothed brushing her cheek with the back of his hand.

'I'm scared for you,' she whispered hugging him tightly.

'I'll see you again I promise.' Harry said.

'But when?'

'I don't know.' The fear in his eyes was visible.

Everyone under the canopy were holding their breath, watching the pair. Ginny let go of Harry and he kissed her properly, passionately, the way he had been craving to. He didn't care that they were soaking wet nor did he care that everyone was watching. He held her hand tight and said,' At least this time we got to kiss goodbye.' Then he turned and walked away not letting go of her hand until it was impossible to hold on anymore. Ginny stood, her hand outstretched in the rain. His kiss was still warm on her lips his last words hung in the air. The uncertainty was killing her already and he had barely been gone thirty seconds. The pain of his departure suddenly hit her like a brick to the head and she couldn't stop the tears that began to course from her eyes. She couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to him, and there was absolutely nothing she could do for him.

Mrs Weasley along with everyone else gasped as Harry kissed Ginny and then he left. She, Lupin, Hermione and Ron dashed out into the rain to where Ginny stood her hand outstretched in the rain.

'Ginny? Dear are you ok?' Mrs Weasley tried to wrap her arms around her youngest daughter and Ginny put up no fight against her.

'Ginny where'd Harry go?' Lupin urged.

'He told me everything and then he left. He's gone.' She sobbed, 'He's gone.'

'Gone where?' Ron asked.

'Ginny please tell us,' Hermione pleaded.

'I don't know, he didn't say.' She whispered.

Hermione looked at Ron over Ginny and Mrs Weasley and their eyes widened in unison.

'He wouldn't!' Hermione squeaked.

'Wouldn't what?' Lupin asked his protective instinct for Harry over taking everything else.

'We have to go.' Ron said shortly and he placed an arm on Hermione's. 'Bye Mum. I love you.' He said before they apparated. The last thing he heard was Ginny's scream and his mother's cry of _'Ron!'_ before they was gone.


End file.
